Walnut Apple Dutch Boy

Outside of Christmas, Fall is my favorite time of year. After the oppressive heat of the Summer, it’s nice to have a cool crispness in the air. And the beauty of watching the leaves change colors is almost indescribable. Going on a long, directionless car ride surrounded by beautiful trees was one of my most treasured childhood memories. We’d get into the car and drive around Augusta, looking out at the trees and trying not to get on each other’s nerves (my sister wasn’t a fan of younger Shaw Girl…seriously, she tried to give me away on several occasions). But the best thing about Fall to me is the new crop of produce I get to play with…and a cooler kitchen! You try gathering up the motivation to bake or cook in 98 degree heat…

Liz’s Fantastic Cupcake Surprise!

I woke up early Saturday morning (6:46 am to be exact), staring straight up at the ceiling and thinking of all the things I had to do. Because this was no ordinary Saturday…no sir. It was Liz’s surprise birthday party Saturday and much needed to be done to fool the Tall One (I call her that…and not just in my head either). The thing is, Liz is a very clever girl…so clever that she almost ruined her own birthday party with repeated requests to stay at home and chill out on Saturday night instead of heading to Finn MacCool’s – the scene of the crime. Yup, she was proving to be a hard nut to crack…but either way, I had cupcakes to make! So in the early morning hours, I pulled out my cake flour, Big Red and enough butter to grease a runway to make the ultimate Red Velvet Redskins Cupcakes!

And Now Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Blog

I’m sure everyone is wondering what happened to Shaw Girl? Where did I go? What was I doing? Am I even still alive? Well, fear not, I am alive…just not a fan of the heat that is DC summer. I don’t like baking or cooking in the heat, even if I do have air conditioning. Besides there was so much to do and see, how could you possibly expect me to chain myself to a stove? You will be happy to know that I thoroughly enjoyed my summer but am now so psyched that it’s Fall!

I LOVE this time of year…almost as much as I love Christmas (you’ve been warned, so don’t be shocked when everything from mid November until the end of December has something to do with Christmas). The crisp coolness in the air; the beautiful sweaters and cute wool jackets; the chance to snuggle up under the blanket with The Boy (uhmmm, yeah I picked up a guy along the way this summer…kind of like shopping for a new car) with cups of tea and Deep Space Nine (and I also picked up an almost obsessive love for DS9…it’s better than heroin, right); and the wonderful opportunities to bake. As it is, I have a few ideas for pumpkin related treats and my mother’s favorite cranberry bread (I am required to make it at every family Thanksgiving).

So now that I’ve caught you up on my summer vacation, I am happy to announce Shaw Girl is back and ready to lay the whisk smack down on her kitchen. To keep from getting burned out again, I plan to go from daily posts to several times a week. But no worries! Adventures will still be had and recorded! Tonight I am sipping tea, under my Grandmother’s quilt and enjoying the change in weather. But I will be back this week with an ode to pumpkins (or perhaps even apples)! So stay tuned…